Welcoming the Blessed Guest: Dhul-Hijjah

Friday (October 28th) is the first day of the month known as Dhul-Hijjah. Our hearts and prayers are with those undertaking the difficult pilgrimage during these days. For those of us who are not performing the Hajj, there are still many ways to make the most of this blessed time!

Virtues of the first 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah

How many times have we heard Surat Al-Fajr recited, be it in our homes, while memorizing, or in the mosque? As a shorter surah, it may be a frequent part of our prayers, but taking the time to reflect on even a part of the first verse reveals a treasure of meaning. In the first two ayahs (verses) of Surat Al-Fajr, Allah says:

According to scholars of the Qur’an, the days mentioned as significant enough for Allah to swear by them are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Describing how these ten days are among the best, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” They said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” [Bukhari, 2/457]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “There is no deed that is better before Allah or more greatly rewarded than a good deed done in the (first) ten days of al-Adha.” He was asked: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” [Al-Daarimi, 1/357]

Thus, the ten days are better than all other days of the year, with no exception, even the last ten days of Ramadan. (The last ten nights of Ramadan, however, are understood to be better than the nights of Dhul-Hijjah, because they include Laylat al-Qadr (the night of power), which is better than a thousand months. (Qur’an 97:3)

Therefore, whoever is not able to go to Hajj should use this blessed time to complete even more righteous deeds than usual. These can include anything such as giving charity, honouring one’s parents, upholding the ties of kinship, and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. Fasting and remembrance are particularly recommended:

1. Fasting Nine days, especially on the Day of ‘Arafah

It is Sunnah for the Muslim to fast on the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, because fasting is one of the best of deeds. In a hadith qudsi, Allah says: “All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it.” [Bukhari, 1805]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast on the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The Prophet used to fast on the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah and the day of Ashura, and three days each month, the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays.” [Abu Dawood, 2/462]

The ten days of Dhul-Hijjah include Yawm al-`Arafah (the Day of `Arafah), on which Allah perfected His Religion. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Fasting the day of `Arafah expiates the sins of two years: the past one and the coming one. And fasting the day of Ashura expiates the sins of the past year.” [Muslim]

2. Remembrance

It is Sunnah to recite remembrances known as the takbeer, tahmeed, tahleel, and tasbeeh during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, saying these words out loud in the mosques, homes, streets and every place in which it is permissible to remember Allah:

Takbeer: Allahu akbar (God is most great)

Tahmeed: Al-hamdu Lillah (All praises be to God)

Tahleel: Laa ilaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah)

Tasbeeh: Subhaan-Allah (Glory be to God),

The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained how, “There are no days that are greater before Allah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, so recite a great deal of tahleel, takbeer and tahmeed during them.” [Ahmad, 7/224]

While there are different versions, the takbeer can also be recited as follows:

About the author

Yusra Owais (Amatullah)

Yusra is a student of the Qur’an and its language. She completed the 2007 Ta’leem program at Al-Huda Institute in Canada and studied Qur’an, Tajweed (science of recitation) and Arabic in Cairo. Through her writings, she hopes to share the practical guidance taught to us by Allah and His Messenger and how to make spirituality an active part of our lives. She has completed her undergraduate degree in Social Work and will be completing a Masters program in 2014. Her experiences include working with immigrant seniors, refugee settlement, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

[…] Shaykh Zulfiqar shaytan sin struggle Sunnah Tasawwuf tawbah time trials & tribulations …Welcoming the Blessed Guest: Dhul-Hijjah Suhaib Webb …Virtues of the first 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah. How many times have we heard Surat Al-Fajr recited, be […]

I always enjoy your writing, mashaAllah. May Allah reward you. Just wondering what countries declared tomorrow (11/7/10) is first of Dhul Hijjah? I think today is 28th of Dhul Qi’dah right? Just wondering because the date is important for those that want to fast.

Thank you Suhaib for posting this content. As a recent convert, I just found out about Dhul-Hijjah and Eid Al-Adha, and this will provide a good guide for my activities during this time.

You briefly mentioned giving charity, but donating a sacrificed animal to the poor appears to be a primary activity for Muslims at this time. What is your opinion on this activity? For Eid Al-Adha – is there a way to respectfully adhere to the intentions of sacrificial giving but in a more local (in the U.S.) and culturally-relevant way for us American converts? Here in the US we are very separated from the animal slaughter and distribution process – here we end up with de-boned, packaged, frozen meat that has traveled on highways and visited warehouses and ends up in mega-supermarkets with a “best by” date on it! On one hand I would say – couldn’t we donate money to a food bank or shelter and volunteer? But I can see how that is not keeping with the symbolic sacrifice that Abraham was willing on making. Please let me know your thoughts.

I researched the fasting of the Prophet in Dhul Hijjah and did not find the narration you mentioned in Abu Dawud. I found a narration that it says he fasted “the ninth of Dhul Hijja” and the rest of the hadith is the same.

Could you please provide any additional information you may have on the subject?

This hadith you are referring to is authentic and is also found in Musnad Ahmad. It is hadith number 2437 in Abu Dawud, but if you are looking in the English translation of Abu Dawud which is available online, then it probably has a different number, and there is the possibility that it might not be there at all because to my knowledge the translation of Abu Dawud which is available online is not complete and is missing some ahadith.

The only thing I will point out to is the typo in the hadith above which says:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The Prophet used to fast…

This hadith was narrated by one of the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), she (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet used to fast…

That should be fine as long as it adheres to our article reposting policy.

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